Apple debuts new MacBook Pro, TV app, and more at today’s special event

Earlier today, Apple hosted one of its trademark special events — just a matter of hours after Microsoft’s rival briefing on the future of its Surface line and Windows 10.

Tim Cook opened the show in understated style, presenting a slideshow of photographs taken by iPhone 7 users to attendees. However, it wouldn’t take long for the event to move on to the topic of the day: some big changes to the MacBook Pro line, and plenty of demonstrations highlighting how users will benefit.

Apple TV

Apple TV was the first device to be showcased as part of the event. Cook announced that Minecraft is coming to the Apple TV, and will be available before the end of the year, before the focus shifted to completely new functionality intended to enhance viewing video content on the platform.

Users will now be able to access Twitter responses to the shows they’re watching — an NFL game was the example used — and even facilitates quick responses by pushing individual tweets to another Apple device. This functionality is set to be rolled out across election night coverage, sports broadcasts, and news programming.

Cook returned to the stage to discuss the “unified TV experience,” an expansion of the search functionality previously offered on Apple TV. A new app called TV was announced, which is set to offer big changes to the way users watch television.

TV will offer easy access to all the television shows and movies the user is currently working their way through, across all apps — whether they’re currently airing, or older content. Selecting a video opens up the appropriate app or service automatically, and the content begins playing immediately.